NFL Power Rankings

I swear every week a team that you thought was on a roll or really playing well or had finally gotten their stuff together goes and lays an egg and really disappoints you. This week that team was the Jets.

Who is it going to be this week? I have no real clue to be honest with you.

This past week also showed that the GM was right all along about my Buffalo Bills. They were WAY overrated early on in the season. They lost at home to my Niners. That's right, the San Francisco 49ers are the only team in the NFL this season to travel from the western time zone to the eastern time zone and win a game at 1 o'clock. I know I'm gloating a little bit but as a 49ers fan, I have to hold onto something, don't I?

There are some serious races shaping up in some of the divisions. The NFC South is going to come down to the wire along with the AFC North and the NFC North.

Let's go with the power rankings starting with number 10!

10. Denver Broncos - The team reappears after a long hiatus from this list. Last week they went into New York and beat a hot Jets team that all the experts were saying was the best team in the AFC all of the sudden. Denver passed all over them and the defense played pretty darn well as well. They have a strangle hold on the division now and are playing very well.

9. Baltimore Ravens - Ok, so Cincinnatti is really terrible and might be just as bad as Detroit. So a 34-3 win over them really isn't that impressive. I really can't say any of the players are playing well right now because of that game because like I said, they are bad. Baltimore is right there hanging with Pittsburgh but I just don't think they have that killer instinct. They made the list but barely.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Went across country and beat San Diego. No one really knows whats wrong with San Diego but I still think that's a good team with a few problems so Atlanta's win over them is a good win in my book. Matt Ryan is playing great and so is Michael Turner. He had a lot to prove this weekend and I definitley think he made his point.

7. New York Jets - Ok, this team went from beating Tennessee pretty easily on the road to getting handled at home by Denver. I don't understand. They obviously need to play a little more consistently if they really want to make noise later on. They only have a one game lead in the division so they better get their heads back on straight quickly. Playing in San Francisco this week may help but if they don't come in focused, watch out!

6. Carolina Panthers - They went into Green Bay and won! DeAngelo Williams had 4 touchdowns. That's solid! This team is just finding ways to win. Delhomme still wasn't very impressive but as long as this team keeps winning and finding new ways each week they will stay in my top 10.

5. Indianapolis Colts - Talk about an unimpressive win! 10-6 over Cleveland. That's not good but even with the offense playing really poorly, they still won the game and that's all that really counts. Come playoff time, a win is a win no matter how pretty. Peyton is still right where he needs to be and its at the perfect time. This team is still really good!

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They beat the Saints 23-20 at home which to me was a great win. The Saints were hungry and new they needed this game to have any shot. The Bucs d held the Saints to 20 points and only let Brees throw for 296. He is on pace to break the record so in comparison 296 for the Bucs d is pretty good. The offense is playing as well as it has to and this team is very impressive.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - That was an awesome performance against the Pats. 33-10 and holding Cassel to 19/30 for 169 and 2 ints. This is probably the top defense in the league and if not is right there with the Titans. This is a very dangerous team and I could definitely see Superbowl in their future.

2. Tennessee Titans - The win on Thanksgiving over Detroit doesn't matter. It showed they could still run and still play defense, I guess. It probably gave their confidence back to them. This is still a very solid team that will definitely go deep into the playoffs.

1. New York Giants - Plaxico Burress is an idiot! That doesn't seem to matter though right now. They still keep winning and still keep winning very impressively. Going into Washington on Sean Taylor day and handling business they way they did really impressed me. Eli Manning is definitely an elite quarterback and this is definitely the class of the league in the NFC right now.

There you have it. I think the top 3 have been the same three teams just swapping a little for the past several weeks now. Let's see if they can continue to win and let's see how the closely contested divisional matchups work out this week.

NFL Power Rankings

This weekend was great for offense. Like the GM posted earlier it was the most points a weekend has ever produced. I was at work on Sunday so I didn't see much of those games but last night's game between New Orleans and Green Bay was fun to watch. It was like the offenses could score at will and I guess it went along with the theme of the weekend.

There are no more unbeatens as the Jets handled the Titans. Everyone is excited about the Cowboys again even though they beat the 49ers at home. The Lions still haven't won a game and that's going to make the Thanksgiving game all the more interesting. Haha, I think the Lions show up Thursday but don't win, again!

I will be giving a bonus pick 6 just for Thanksgiving so check that out come Turkey day if you want to make some extra money on your day off.

But for now I am going to do my Power Rankings for the week!

Here we go:

10. Atlanta Falcons - They scored 45 on Carolina who I had in the top 5 for a long time. Michael Turner is a beast and Matt Ryan is pretty good! It's been 8 years running that the team that finished last in this division finishes first the next year and Atlanta is making this really interesting.

9. New England Patriots - Matt Cassel had another monster game and if he keeps just throwing it up to Moss this team will be dangerous. I still don't have confidence in the defense however, which is why I can't really put them any higher then this.

8. Carolina Panthers - Jake Delhomme finally had a good game but it was because they were playing from behind the entire game. They couldn't stop Atlanta at all and that worries me because I don't think they have the offense to go out and win shoot-outs. They better straighten up or it might be an early exit from the playoffs. If they make it that is.

7. Arizona Cardinals - They lost at home to the Giants 37-29. That is not a bad loss at all. They fall a few spots because some teams behind them had impressive wins. This team will still win this horrible division and still may get the second seed in the NFC. The offense is great but the defense leaves a lot to be desired.

6. Indianapolis Colts - Went into San Diego and won a very tough game. Vinatieri is money when it comes in the clutch. Another game winning field goal and this was from 51 yards. This team has quietly snuck into the playoffs as they are the second wild-card team right now. Their schedule is favorable for this team to finish very strong. It may be too late for them to win the division but some team better look at in the wild-card round.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The final score was a 38-20 victory. They, however, trailed at the end of the first quarter 17-0. If they had played anyone but Detroit they would've been in trouble. It's good that they got their act together and came back and won but it scares me a little. Still a very good team though.

4. New York Jets - They are not the best team in the AFC right now and Brett Favre is not the MVP either. This was a good win and anytime you beat an undefeated you are going to get a lot of hype but this team still needs to keep winning to convince they are a Superbowl favorite. I still think they are very good.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - Remember when they played last Thursday night and just handled their business against Cincy. Yea, it was 27-10 and that's pretty much all I have to say about that. This defense is one of the best in the NFL. This team is for real and could easily go to the Superbowl.

2. Tennessee Titans - I know, it was only one loss and the Jets are pretty good. Trust me, I am not dropping them far and I still think they are really good but I just feel that the Giants are a little better right now. This takes nothing away from this team. The defense is still great, the run game is awesome and Collins is solid. Don't all of the sudden fall asleep on this team because you might wake up in February and see them playing for it all.

1. New York Giants - Went to Arizona and beat the high-powered Cardinals 37-29. Justin Tuck is amazing and they didn't even have Brandon Jacobs. This is a complete team that is far and away the best in the NFC right now.

There ya have it! The playoff races are shaping up and its only going to get better from here!

A BCS Mess and The GMs Top 10

Thank you Oklahoma! You have royally messed up the BCS now. And if you lose on Saturday it will further screw it up.

If you just would have gone ahead and lost on Saturday night Texas Tech could have gone on to beat Missouri and play the SEC Champ for the National Championship and we all would have been happy with that.

But no. Not only could you not do that but you embarrassed the Red Raiders and showed the nation all their flaws. So now we have to look at how badly you beat Tech and consider it. And if you go ahead and win at Oklahoma State than you will make it even more complicated as there will be a three way tie for the Big 12 South crown (assuming Texas and Texas Tech both win as well).

Which means the Big 12 South would be decided by.......(drum roll please).......the BCS rankings. That's right the highest ranked team in the BCS would get the chance to play the Big 12 North champion. Which at this point could be Texas or Oklahoma.

My opinion.....Texas should get the bid. Based primarily on the fact that they beat Oklahoma. They should NOT fall behind Oklahoma just cause the Sooners destroyed Tech and the Horns lost to Tech. Why....because the Horns still BEAT the Sooners!!

And that is they way it should be.


The GMs Top 10:

1. Alabama (1) 11-0 - They keep winning and while no one gives them much of a chance against Florida I wouldn't count them entirely out yet. But I also wouldn't look past Auburn right now. That is going to be a good football game in my opinion as rivalry games usually are.
2. Florida (3) 10-1 - They keep winning. No matter who it is they win and they win big. Up next is the Noles and like I said about Auburn...watch out Gators....don't take the Noles lightly.
3. Texas (4) 10-1 - They will ALWAYS be ahead of Oklahoma as long as they win. They beat the Sooners and Okie State so OU shouldn't be able to get by them now. But again a rivalry game with a beaten foe in A&M comes this Thursday night....be ready Horns!
4. Oklahoma (5) 10-1 - A great win over Tech on Saturday night has them thinking National Title. But I am not sure they can jump Texas. If they didn't jump em last week I don't think it can happen this week.
5. USC (6) 9-1 - Not too much left to scare the Trojans this year...just Notre Dame (haha) and UCLA remain between USC and a 11-1 season. A national title contender long shot though unless OU and Texas lose in the next 2 weeks.
6. Penn State (7) 11-1 - They made an example out of Michigan State on Saturday and are headed for the Rose Bowl. They have an outside shot at the National Title but it is HIGHLY unlikely.
7. Utah (9) 12-0 - Another impressive win against BYU gave them the Mountain West title and a likely shot at a BCS game in a little over a month. They have earned it and could give someone a run for their money.
8. Texas Tech (2) 10-1 - A bad loss Saturday night. Even if they win the Big 12 they are likely out of the title hunt. An absolute drubbing at the hands of the Sooners in Norman.
9. Boise State (8) 11-0 - They have one more test against Fresno State for their undefeated season but would still probably miss out on a BCS game thanks to the Utes also running the table. A good team but not good enough this year.
10. Missouri (10) 9-2 - They have already locked up the Big 12 North I believe. So even if they lose to Kansas they will still show up on Dec 6 to play one of the big 3 from the South. And if they win that they basically blow up the BCS. GO TIGERS!

Almost There:

• Ohio State 10-2 - Another crushing beat down of Michigan completed their season and likely got them into a good bowl game....maybe even a BCS game.
• Oklahoma State 9-2 - They get their chance this weekend against OU and at home to boot.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 11)

The NFL is really starting to sort itself out and we are beginning to find out who the real playoff contenders are and who the pretenders have been all season long.

There have been games on Thursday's for the past two weeks and the NFL Network couldn't be happier about how its turned out. Two games, two exciting finishes, two incredibly high scoring games. First, the Broncos edged the Browns late in the fourth for a 34-30 victory and this past week the Jets beat the Patriots in overtime 34-31.

I have three teams that at one point either before the season or during the season that I was very high on and now I would consider them pretenders. They are Jacksonville, Minnesota and Buffalo.

I picked Jacksonville before the season started to win the Superbowl. I probably could have put them in this last long before now but the loss this past week to Tennessee sealed the deal. I know they have been hurt on the offensive line but you have to win with what you got and don't be surprised if Jack Del Rio is fired at the end of the season.

Minnesota was picked by many to win the NFC North this year. They most definitely are not out of it but those same people picked them to go to the Superbowl. I think its been established that that probably won't happen. Nothing is done until the game is played but I just don't see it.

At one point this season I had Buffalo at 2 on the power rankings. My friend, the GM, said I was crazy at the time and now I have to agree with him. Monday was a game they had to have because the Jets won on Thursday. By losing, at home, to Cleveland they have put themselves two games behind at 5-5 and are now on the outside looking in. It doesn't look good and for all you Bills fans out there, that was all to similar to Scott Norwood!

Now lets talk about the teams that are in good shape. The top 10!

I like to countdown so let's start at 10.

10. Baltimore Ravens - This team was definitely outmatched by the Giants. The game was in New York and I think everyone expected Flacco to struggle against the Giants D. I think the alarming this for Baltimore was how the defense played against Brandon Jacobs. They didn't! On the verge of falling out but I will give them one more week since the Giants are so good and the game was on the road.

9. Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning is back. The offense is clicking once again and if the defense could start playing a little more consistently I think this team could be a real contender in the AFC. Joseph Addai ran for 100 yards this past week for the first time this season and that would be a huge boost as well. This is definitely a team on the rise!

8. New England Patriots - Thursday's loss might crush this team. Matt Cassel played great, they were at home and came back in the 4th just to see a field goal beat them in overtime. The defense played horribly and as long as that continues this team will fall down the rankings. I expect this team to get themselves back up. I have them ahead of Indy only because they beat Indy earlier this season.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - A very good, hard fought victory this past weekend against Minnesota. Held AP to 85 yards and only a handful of them came in the second half. The offense still needs to find itself but they are losing running backs every week. Once they get that straightened out they will be very good. They also get Detroit this week so that should boost their confidence if it isn't sky high already.

6. New York Jets - What a victory on Thursday night! Thomas Jones is playing great. Brett Favre has given this team a confidence just by being there. They know they can win just because he is the quarterback. The defense could be better but they will be fine. They are now winning the very competitive AFC East. This team should make the playoffs and we will see what happens after that.

5. Arizona Cardinals - I say this every week but this offense is incredible. I know they only put up 26 points last week but that's because they couldn't punch it in. That will work itself out and they will be back over 35 soon enough. They had to win a tight one in Seattle but the good teams find a way to do that and they did! They will clinch the division soon if they haven't already and I can't wait to see what this team can do in the playoffs.

4. Carolina Panthers - This team just wins ball games. Jake Delhomme had a bad game for the second week in a row but for the second week in a row the running game was huge. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both playing great right now and the defense is very good. Jon Beason is an incredible linebacker who is definitely not talked about enough.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - 11-10 for the first time in NFL history. That's awesome! It was a hard fought victory in the snow over San Diego. Obviously they needed to score a bit more but lets blame the weather. Troy Polamalu played very well and had one of the best interception's I have ever seen. This team will just keep on winning and will be very dangerous come playoff time.

2. New York Giants - Every week this team gets closer to moving into number 1. Another very very impressive victory at home were the ground game and the defense dominated again. Eli's become an incredible game manager and with those three ingredients this team is looking like a team that could definitely win the big one.

1. Tennessee Titans - They still haven't lost. They trailed at halftime to Jacksonville but Kerry Collins got his act together in the second half and really lead his team to the victory. Chris Johnson may be hitting the rookie wall but that has yet to be determined. They defense is still the best in the league and when you have that you have to considered number 1 every week. This team will probably stay here until they lose!

That's it for this week. I can't wait to see what happens over the next few weeks because we will begin to see how the playoffs are going to set up and some of these close division battles will work themselves out.

The College Football Weekend

BORING!!

I can't remember much of anything from Saturday's slate of games. There really weren't any good games the whole day.

The one game between ranked teams wasn't close. And by close I mean 4 touchdowns. It wasn't even close! 56-6 the Gators dismantled the Gamecocks.

Other than that the only games worth anything were probably the ACC games. And they weren't worth watching either. I watched the first about half of the Maryland vs North Carolina game and saw the score go to 15-14..then I went out to dinner with the family and came back and saw the last 3 points.

That game pretty much summed up the college slate of games. I managed to leave for about 90 minutes and STILL saw all the scoring in a game. Awesome.

Some good points from the weekend....

I went 7-3 against the spread and if it wasn't for Stanford scoring a bit too much I would have been 8-2. But 7-3 is still good.
Notre Dame is bad. Yes they beat Navy but really is that an achievement for Notre Dame nowadays?
Next week's slate of games is MUCH BETTER!


The GM's Top 10:

Click here. The Top 10 is the exact same as last week and I am not doing it again right now. Either click the link or see the right sidebar for my college football Top 10. I will be back next week as there WILL be changes.

Enjoy the week!

The GMs NCAA FB Top 10, week 11

Last week was a bad week for my college picks and I had hoped to make a valiant comeback this past weekend and thought I did okay.

And then I looked at the picks and remembered I didn't actually take that team.

DAMN!

I went 5-5 against the spread this past weekend. Not great but not technically losing either.

And now we go into perhaps the worst weekend for college football. There is only 1 game featuring ranked teams against each other and that is pushing it. 25 South Carolina goes to Gainesville to play the number 4 Florida Gators team that is destroying teams each week. I don't think that will stop this week.

About this past weekend....

Did Iowa do us all a favor? Maybe they did. I am a huge Penn State fan and really wanted to see them play for a National Title but at the same time if they were just going to be destroyed by a team like Florida or Texas than I wouldn't want to watch. But I was still rooting for the Lions and was disappointed when they lost.

But I love all college football and will enjoy the rest of the season. I am really looking forward to the Texas Tech @ Oklahoma game in a couple weeks. That should be fun. And then there are games like OU vs Okie State and Florida vs Florida State.

Every week there seems to be multiple games worth watching. It's great.


The GMs Top 10:

1. Alabama (1) 10-0 - They got past LSU which I figured they would and they SHOULD get to the SEC title game undefeated, although I would keep my eye on Auburn if I were them. If they make it through the title game than they will be playing in Miami in January.
2. Texas Tech (3) 10-0 - Last week I said they weren't in my title conversation but this week they might top it. I think they are actually MORE likely to make it through their schedule than Alabama. The tough game is obviously AT Oklahoma.
3. Florida (4) 9-1 - Absolutely destroying their opponents right now. If they win out they play for the SEC championship....and probably win it. But don't look past Florida State too early. South Carolina can't hang with the Gators.
4. Texas (5) 8-1 - Another team another win. With the exception of the first half (and final plays) against Texas Tech they have played a pretty much perfect season. They have to be ahead of OU since they already beat OU.
5. Oklahoma (6) 9-1 - The offense is amazing, the defense is amazingly bad! I think TT can handle this team because their defense is that bad. But they keep winning. With TT and Okie State coming up I don't expect it to continue.
6. USC (8) 8-1 - Playing in a weak PAC-10 is making this team look so much better than they are. Yes their defense is good but the offenses they are playing against aren't exactly Texas or Oklahoma. As usual a bit overrated in the media.
7. Penn State (2) 9-1 - Couldn't quite get it done in Iowa City. The wind might have been an equalizer but the babying of the offense and Darryl Clark is probably more to blame. But if they win out they get the Rose Bowl....not too bad.
8. Boise State (8) 9-0 - A toss up between them and Utah still goes to a very young Broncos team. Winning at Oregon is still impressive. Unfortunately they won't stay ahead of Utah unless Utah losses.
9. Utah (-) 10-0 - A big come from behind win against TCU last week gets the Utes into the top 10 for the first time this season. They still get BYU and can still jump Boise in the coming weeks. An undefeated season likely lands them in the BCS game.
10. Missouri (-) 8-2 - After losing to Texas they have calmed things down and are focused on winning the Big 12 north. They want to redeem themselves against the South division in the championship game.

Almost there:

• Ohio State 8-2 - Playing very well and they seem to have found an offense in the past few weeks. Should finish out the season with wins and end up in either a BCS game or in Florida for a New Years Day game.
• Oklahoma State 8-2 - They got throttled by a Texas Tech team looking to make a point. Now they have to rebound and get ready for the Sooners in a few weeks.
• TCU 9-2 - A tough close loss to Utah on Thursday surely cost them a BCS shot at least. Refocus and finish out the season strong to get to a solid bowl game.
• BYU 9-1 - They get Air Force this week and Utah next week to finish their season with tough games. If they win those two they will be in good shape within the conference.

Week 9 Roundup

Baltimore scored the most points, Cincinnati actually won a game, and Oakland might have played the worst offensive game in history. Those might not have been the biggest highlights of week 9 in the NFL but they were the craziest. I never thought that with a rookie quarterback Baltimore would score the most but Flacco played well and even with giving up 27 the defensive scored a touchdown so I give them high marks as well. Cincinnati beat Jacksonville on the back of two touchdowns from Ocho Cinco. Houshmazilli can breathe a little easier in terms of that guarantee and the really long walk he was going to have to take. He is not out of the woods but he is much closer. Oh yea and Oakland looked awful. -2 total yards in the first half, 10 total passing yards for the game and 77 yards overall. I don't think I really have to say anything so I won't.

On a good note, Pittsburgh looked very impressive last night in a 23-6 romp of Washington, in Washington. The defense was outstanding! I didn't get to see it but the Tennessee/Green Bay game had to have been exciting for no other reason then it went into overtime and was decided on a missed field goal and then a made field goal.

The other supposedly huge game of the weekend was Dallas at the Giants. Wow, if you really believed all the hype, what a huge let down. That is if you are a Cowboys fan. The Giants literally ran them out of the building and probably could have named the score they wanted. Brad Johnson was bad and Brooks Bollinger was worse. That offense is nothing without Tony Romo. The defense really isn't much better then the offense. That team is a big mess and honestly when Romo comes back, I don't see it getting much better at this point. This team will be lucky to make the playoffs. To be honest, its to the point that I may stop talking about them like they are a Superbowl contender and hopefully the rest of the talking heads do the same. This team isn't very good.

So now let's rank the teams that are!

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - It wasn't pretty but they did go to Kansas City and win. They were behind 24-3 at one point. I have to question if they actually came back and won or if Kansas City lost this. Good enough to keep them in the top 10.

9. Arizona Cardinals - Back in the top 10 after whopping the Rams 34-13. With Boldin back and Hightower running like crazy this offense is awesome! They have a huge lead in the division and I don't see them falling apart.

8. Baltimore Ravens - If the defense can play well the rest of the season and Joe Flacco can stay poised this team could win a wild-card. I don't think they can beat Pittsburgh but they are only a game behind so you never know. Even without McGahee this team is playing very well.

7. New England Patriots - The game was in Indy and when those two teams get together its always heated. This one was really close and if you take out one stupid penalty by David Thomas the outcome might have changed. Belichick might send him back to Wendy's after that.

6. Philadelphia Eagles - Handled there business in Seattle. More touchdowns would have been nice but Seattle never had a chance and that defense is on the right track. If McNabb starts throwing more touchdowns this offense could be really good as long as Westbrook stays healthy. This team is good!

5. Washington Redskins - They lost bad at home and pretty much got dominated. However, it was by the third best team in the league. I don't consider that a terrible loss. It hurts in the division only because the Giants are so good right now but I promise this team will get back on track and has a good shot at a wild card.

4. Carolina Panthers - They got the benefit of the bye week this week. Next week they get who? That's right, they play Oakland and well read above about what's going to happen there. This team is solid and is playoff bound.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - Great win on the road on Monday night. The injury to Ben is scary but Leftwich did fine replacing him. I wouldn't count on that all the time however so stay tuned on that. Parker came back and did fine. The defense dominated.

2. New York Giants - I keep move them up as long as the Titans keep winning. They dominated the Cowboys however! I don't think its that impressive because I kind of figured that's what would happen. This team is great and may be better then the team that won the Superbowl last year.

1. Tennessee Titans - They won again and even though it may not have been as impressive as the Giants win, this team still hasn't lost. And until they do, they will be Number 1. The running game is great! Chris Johnson should be rookie of the year. The defense is amazing and Kerry Collins is doing what he needs to so that this team stays undefeated.

Week 9 was good and the next 8 weeks are only going to get better. There is so much parity this year! It's going to make for a hell of a show coming down the stretch!


GMs Thoughts:

I would only really argue 2 things. 1...The Ravens have NO BUSINESS on this list. I would easily put the Bucs or Cards ahead of them as well as the Jets and Bills. I think the Ravens are piss poor on offense and only looked good cause they played an even worse team in the Cleveland Browns. 2.....The Redskins are too high. They haven't really looked good since the game against Philly. They have played (and barely beaten) Cleveland and Detroit since and have lost to St Louis and Pittsburgh. The Skins are falling fast and should be lower but still a top 10 team.

The GMs NCAA FB Top 10

There is a lot of debate right now about whether a one loss SEC or Big 12 team should jump Penn State and play for the national championship. There is even a poll on ESPN asking everyone to vote. Right now it is 63-37 against a one loss team in the Championship over an undefeated team. And the only places where it is opposite....Big 12 and SEC states.

Two things here:

Don't punish Penn State for Ohio State's shortcomings. And don't give me that who did they play because the non con schedule is pretty much the same (maybe better) than any Big 12 team except maybe Oklahoma and definitely any SEC team.
Does this really matter? Do you really think Alabama and/or Texas Tech will go undefeated? Alabama may get by LSU but what are the chances they beat Florida in the SEC title game? Not good. And TT is probably going to lose this week at home to Okie State.

So really the question should be:

Does a 1 loss USC team deserve a National Championship slot more than a 1 loss Big 12 or SEC team?

Cause that is going to be the debate forthcoming!


On to the top 10:

1. Alabama (2) 9-0 - They handled a Sunbelt team this weekend which is exactly what they should do. Texas losses than the #2 team jumps up. This week @ LSU is huge for them.
2. Penn State (3) 9-0 - The only reason they are ahead of Texas Tech is because Tech needed a last second play to win at home AND because believe it or not....their non con schedule is better.
3. Texas Tech (5) 9-0 - A very good team that has played a soft schedule to date. Okie State and Oklahoma await. If they win out...they will be #1 or #2.
4. Florida (6) 7-1 - A great win against an over rated Georgia team. They are possibly the best team in the country but they will need help to get the the title game.
5. Texas (1) 8-1 - It took a last second prayer to beat them on the road. A very good team with a slightly below average defense. Still have a chance but now they need help.
6. Oklahoma (4) 8-1 - They really only fall because the rest of the teams were more impressive. They still have the chance to prove themselves but they are not really in the title talk anymore.
7. Oklahoma St (8) 8-1 - A good team that took Texas too its limits a couple weeks ago. They get another shot at an undefeated team this week in Lubbock.
8. USC (9) 7-1 - They beat up on a bad Washington team....so? They are still a huge question in my eyes. Their offense isn't very good and the defense looks good against a BAD conference.
9. Boise St. (-) 8-0 - They are only ahead of TCU based on their win @ Oregon and that they are undefeated. But I think TCU is the better team.
10. TCU (10) 9-1 - Huge game this Thursday against Utah that will either decide the conference or will make things even more complicated.

Almost There:

Utah 9-0 - A good team that has yet to beat a good team. See TCU for this week's importance. They get to prove themselves 2 more times this season....they need to show me something.
Missouri 7-2 - It will take a lot for them to get back into the top 10 but they could do it. They also need to keep winning and get to the Big 12 title game.

Gone:

Georgia - BAD performance on Saturday. It was like they forgot to show up. It didn't surprise me but it did some people. They have failed to show up in two games against two good teams now.

Week 8 Roundup

Week 8 really didn't change my opinion about anything in the NFL. I still think Dallas is in trouble. I know they went into Tampa and won 13-9 but the next day they were questioning whether Brad Johnson should stay in a quarterback until Romo comes back. The other option is Brooks Bollinger. Yea, that's what I said. If they would've won and kept their mouths shut and moved onto New York next week I might feel better about them but no, way too much drama still and I am not confident this team will make it to the end of the season.

New York proved themselves big time by winning in Pittsburgh even though it was a struggle. A win is a win and that was a win against a top 5 team in the league.

I think the NFL should stop playing games in Europe. I am sure the Saints/Chargers game was good but I think it would have been good in America also. Who knows how that travel is going to affect these guys and both teams are still very much in it. I don't understand it because from what I understand, England didn't really get too excited about this. It's stupid and it's only getting worse.

San Francisco laid an egg against Seattle in Singletary dropped a bomb on the media. I am excited that Singletary took charge and threw Davis out and hopefully this gets the team going. They also changed quarterbacks. I think its too little too late but, I am glad Mad Mike is trying to leave his mark. I hope he keeps the job!

Last but not least, I do believe the Titans win over the Colts was a statement game. I know the Colts aren't the same as they were for the past few years but it was still a big hurdle this team get over. Peyton Manning is finding his way back and Harrison is a step slower but this is a team the Titans couldn't pass in the division and if the result was different there would've only been 2 games separating the teams. The Titans took care of business and they are by far the best team in that division now. Do I still have them as the best team in the league?

Top 10, here we go!

10. Buffalo Bills - They lost in Miami. I know the game was on the road but this is a team that they should have beaten if they are for real. I am not saying they aren't and can't win the division but that was a game they should've won.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They lost 13-9 at home to Dallas. Dallas is the most talented team in the league so the loss is kind of understandable. This is still a good team and I think they will bounce back. If the offense could have punched one of the field goals in they win the game and are in the top 5.

8. Dallas Cowboys - That win puts them back in the top 10. I am not ready to say they have everything straightened out again because the DON'T but if Owens would shut up and Romo gets back to 100 % this team still is very good. Those are two HUGE ifs though.

7. Philadelphia Eagles - They beat Atlanta 27-14 and both teams scored a late touchdown. I watched this game and really never thought Philly could lose. Westbrook looked great and hopefully he can stay healthy all season. The defense is still good and I really think this team could be a contender come playoff time.

6. New England Patriots - This team won a close game against St. Louis. St. Louis is a better team then we thought. This is a good team even without Brady and now that Cassel has gotten rid of the "deer in headlights" feeling and that should make this team a contender in the weaker AFC.

5. Washington Redskins - This team won a close game against Detroit. Detroit is not a better team then we thought. How do I have them against New England then? This team has been more consistent and have played a tougher schedule. This team is solid and Jason Campbell still hasn't thrown an interception.

4. Carolina Panthers - The win against Arizona was a good win. They are 6-2 and are playing really good defense. Delhomme and Steve Smith are back doing what they do and DeAngelo Williams is playing really well.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - I know they lost at home against the Giants but as you will see, I don't consider that a bad loss. They are still playing with their third string running back and Santonio Holmes was out because he was getting high. What an idiot! This team will get right back on track and should be fine.

2. New York Giants - Huge win in Pittsburgh! I don't know what else I need to say here. I think they are proving to be the best team in the NFC and I see them making a deep run again.

1. Tennessee Titans - How about Kerry Collins? The run game is great and the defense is even better then that. They got a huge win over the Colts and pretty much already have the division locked up.

The great teams are separating themselves and after that there are still lots of questions. We are going to start talking about the playoffs soon and its going to be awesome!

Two Big Games and the GMs Top 10

I hope you called your bookie and listened to my advice....because you would be VERY HAPPY right now!

Against the spread I went 7-3 and also went 6-4 with over/under.

I got 3 of the 4 big games right. I only missed the LSU/Georgia game.

I even told you to take the under in the Tex/Ok St game and guess what....I was right.


It was a good weekend for college football this week. There were lots of big games and a couple really good games.

The Texas vs Oklahoma St was very good. Colt McCoy is incredible. At one point he completed 18 straight passes to set a Big 12 record. But the Cowboys hung in there and actually had a chance to win the game at the end. Next up for Texas is a big road game in Lubbock against the Red Raiders of Texas Tech.

Penn St held off Ohio State in a game that was dominated by defense. Neither team could sustain any drives and the offense was lacking. Most of the offensive series would get to around midfield and then stall. Penn State won the turnover battle and won the game. PSU is now a heavy favorite to go undefeated and possibly play for a National Championship.

Other than those two games there wasn't anything really notable to talk about. So let's mention a couple things. Arizona almost got by USC but ended up falling short. Rutgers upset Pitt. Oklahoma and Kansas State combined for 83 points in the FIRST HALF of their game and then they scored a whopping.......10 points in the second half. Florida, Missouri, and Texas Tech embarrassed Kentucky, Colorado, and Kansas, respectively. And the ACC is STILL up for grabs.....no one seems to want the title.


And now.....The GMs Top Ten:

1. Texas (1) 8-0 - They continue to beat the teams in front of them. And they are good teams. Next up is an undefeated Texas Tech team on the road. This could be Texas's biggest test of the season considering it is on the road.
2. Alabama (2) 8-0 - They also continue winning. They took care of a below average Tennessee team on the road Saturday night. Might have been Alabama's best game since the Georgia game.
3. Penn State (3) 9-0 - It hadn't been done by a Penn State team since 1978. 30 years of losing in the Horseshoe. Until Saturday. A boring game overall but a win is a win. There three remaining games are all winnable and could lead to a National Championship for the 81 year old Joe Paterno.
4. Oklahoma (4) 7-1 - They looked like they might be in trouble against Kansas State for a while but ended up winning easily. There only loss is to Texas which isn't a bad loss.
5. Texas Tech (7) 8-0 - They dismantled a decent Kansas team IN KANSAS. This team can score with anyone but can they stop Colt? We will find out Saturday night.
6. Florida (6) 6-1 - No problem with Kentucky. Even with Georgia on the horizon. They seem to be running on all cylinders right now which could spell trouble for Georgia this Saturday in Jacksonville.
7. Georgia (9) 7-1 - A very good win Saturday against LSU. I really thought LSU would win at home but it was not to be for the Tigers. Now they get Florida in a game that SHOULD decide the SEC East.
8. Oklahoma St (5) 7-1 - Yes they lost but it was close and it was to the BEST team in college football this season. They held the high powered Texas offense to 28 points in Austin. They are better than people think.
9. USC (8) 6-1 - A good win at Arizona this weekend. But I think they needed to blow out the Cats in order to make people (especially me) a believer....and they didn't.
10. TCU (-) 8-1 - They destroyed a good BYU team a couple of weeks ago and then this weekend they dismantled Wyoming. They jump ahead of Utah and Boise St based on who they have played.

Almost there:

Utah (-) 8-0 - They just haven't played anyone that proves how good they are. They beat Oregon State and they beat Michigan but neither of those games really impress. They still get TCU and BYU so they still can prove themselves.
Boise St. (-) 7-0 - Like Utah they haven't played anyone. They beat Oregon and Hawaii but no one else, and Hawaii isn't that good. They don't really get anyone to prove themselves against either. They better destroy Fresno or they won't be a top 10 team.
Florida St. (-) 6-1 - This is the only team in the ACC that seems to want the division. They definitely have a chance to move up with their schedule.
Minnesota (-) 7-1 - They don't get to play Penn State or Michigan State and they lost to Ohio State which means they really need to win every game left to have an argument. And they better win them convincingly.

Gone:

Ohio State (10) - They lost at home to Penn State and just don't seem to be that good to me. I reluctantly had them in there last week and now they can't get back. A good team but not a top 10 team.

NFL Power Rankings

Two weeks ago I thought the NFL had imploded. 5 of my top 6 teams lost and when I tried to put a list together for my power rankings, I had a terrible time. I had such a bad time that if you listen to podcast 5, we actually let lady luck kind of do a power rankings also. It seems thought that week 7 has gotten us back on track however. Most of the teams that I thought were going to win and should have won did and that made this week much easier.

The other thing that we learned in week 7 is that the Dallas Cowboys are not as good as we all thought. Listen, I know Romo is hurt and that is a huge loss but if you all remember, back in the preseason this team had so much talent that really no team in the league would really be able to compete with them. That to me sounds like even with Brad Johnson they still should have been fine. I guess this raises the question: Is Tony Romo that good and that important to this team? My answer for that is no, he isn't, they just aren't as good as everyone thought they were. I have a simple solution for Mr. Jones and the assistant head coach Mr. Phillips. RUN THE BALL! Stop trying to make Owens happy every week and run the ball. If you win Owens will be fine and Marion Barber gives you the best shot at that. Give Owens his five or six catches a game but make sure you give the ball to Barber 25 times a game. The defense needs to get better also. Losing Pacman should not make a difference. This is more evidence that they aren't that good. Losing Pacman has made this one of the worst secondaries in the league. Guess what then? They were one of the worst secondaries in the league but he got in a fight. Dallas isn't as good and they did a good job of fooling everyone including myself.

Onto the Power Rankings:

10. Chicago Bears - Just gave up 41 points and still won. Scored two special teams touchdowns and neither were by Devon Hester. Oh and don't sleep on Orton, that kid is playing well!

9. New England - Is the offense that good or is Denver's D that bad. Probably a little of both but if Cassel can be more consistent this team could still win that division.

8. Arizona Cardinals - This team is going to win their division and rightfully so. This team can score and will be getting Boldin back soon. Any running game would help a lot but this team is fine.

7. Washington Redskins - The loss to the Rams is beginning to look ok but last week's close game with Cleveland scares me. If they take care of business against Detroit this week they could be right back in the top 5.

6. Tampa Bay Bucs - Really good defense always scores major points with me. This team has that and a quarterback who loves to just manage games. The offense is good enough to make this team really good.

5. Buffalo Bills - This defense is really good to and I put them ahead of Tampa because I would take Edwards, Lynch and Evans against Garcia, Dunn, and ??? any day.

4. Carolina Panthers - I know Tampa just beat this team 27-3 but it was in Tampa and Carolina just beat New Orleans 30-7, which in my mind is very impressive.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - Pounded the Bengals last week 38-10. I know, that doesn't say much but they are 5-1 and even with their third string running back and are just running it down teams throats. Big test this week at home against the Giants.

2. New York Giants - Never let San Francisco have a chance. Also 5-1 and as long as Eli doesn't try to force it to Plax too many times this offense is great! Brandon Jacobs is an animal. Big road game this week in Pittsburgh. ( I know I mentioned this game twice but that shows how big it is.)

1. Tennessee Titans - Only unbeaten team left. Need I say more? Some people are picking Indy this week. I am not. The train roles on. This defense is incredible.

I think the league is really shaking itself out and we now know who the real contenders are! I love the NFL and its going to be great from here on out!

BCS Thoughts & Top 10

The first BCS standings were released this weekend. You can view them here. No real surprises but I definitely have some problems with it.

The top 3 are fine. Texas, Alabama, and Penn State are the consensus top 3 teams in the country so they should be 1,2, and 3. After that it is questionable.

I don't have a HUGE problem with Oklahoma at #4 although I think undefeated teams in the BCS conferences should be at the top. I think OU lost to a great Texas team and has beaten everyone else on their schedule.

My problem comes with USC. Here is a team that has only won 1 game against a decent opponent, Ohio State. Luckily for USC, Ohio State finally played like a top 10 team this weekend and won a game handily for the first time this season. But other than that who has USC beaten? A weak Virginia team, highly overrated teams in Oregon and Arizona St, and arguably the worst BCS conference team in Washington State.

But yet they are #5 in the BCS?!?! It just doesn't make any sense. They haven't played anyone and guess what.....they won't play anyone. And their one loss.....was to an average Oregon State team that got beat by Stanford.

Who should be there? There are a couple teams actually.

Oklahoma State is undefeated and just last week beat the 3rd ranked team in the country on the road! Georgia has lost 1 game....to the 2nd ranked team in the country.

I really think Okie State should be ahead of USC and maybe OU. And if you are going to have a one loss team ahead of an undefeated team it should be Georgia.

Texas Tech is close and can help their cause this Saturday at Kansas but I don't mind Georgia and USC ahead of them.

But this is the yearly problem with the BCS. It favors historically good programs like USC instead of looking at their schedule and results. Yes they have beaten up on teams. But they haven't played a GOOD team like Okie State has. And NO OHIO STATE is not a good team. They got lucky this past weekend. More on that later.


Now here is my top 10 list:

1. Texas (1) 7-0 - Impressive win against Missouri. If anything the just stretched their lead out even further over the rest of the country. McCoy is phenomenal this year and this is a very good team.
2. Alabama (2) 7-0 - A tough win against Mississippi that I think should have been larger. They have to go to Tennessee this weekend and better make a statement or questions will get larger.
3. Penn State (3) 8-0 - They got caught looking ahead during the first half against Michigan but responded a made a good statement in the second half.
4. Oklahoma (4) 6-1 - I thought it was an impressive win against Kansas. They can't play defense but they still won big. A good win after a tough loss.
5. Oklahoma State (7) 7-0 - After beating Missouri last week I though Baylor might give them a game but they didn't. I was impressed with Okie St's focus.
6. Florida (6) 5-1 - They have played a tougher schedule than Georgia and USC so they are ahead of them. They still have tough games and could move up more.
7. Texas Tech (8) 7-0 - They didn't really impress this past week but they are still undefeated. They have plenty of chances to prove themselves going forward.
8. USC (9) 5-1 - Destroyed Wazzou but that isn't that impressive. They are winning the games on their schedule which is really all you can do.
9. Georgia (10) 6-1 - Beat a good Vandy team but not dominating in that game. They still have chances to prove themselves but won't get much higher without help.
10. Ohio State (-) 7-1 - Finally make it back in the top 10 after a commanding performance against MSU. Big game this weekend against PSU.

Almost there:

Utah (-) 8-0 - The BYU loss actually hurt them since they still play them in November. They need help to get into top 10.
Boise St (-) 6-0 - They have beaten teams that USC beat but aren't quite there. If they keep winning and get help they could move up.
LSU (-) 5-1 - Barely hanging on to this spot. Big win at South Carolina. They get Georgia at home this week and could make it back into top 10 with win.


Gone from list:

BYU (5) 6-1 - They got absolutely handled at TCU. Not good. They only chance they have to save their season and ranking is by destroying Utah next month.

NFL Power Rankings

So, Week 5 in the NFL made doing the Power Rankings this week really hard! Numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 all lost. Some understandably and some not so much! Last week just proved how much of a crap shoot the NFL really is every week. GM and I decided as a team that we would prove this theory. So, I decided to really think long and hard about the rankings this week and we also decided that we would throw some names in a hat and see what happened. We will give you both lists and I would love to have you guys vote on which one I used my brain on and which one was just picked right out of a hat. Here we go with the two lists. I am not going to give any reasons this week because I want to see how many people figure out which list is which.

10. Buffalo Bills

9. San Diego

8. Tampa Bay

7. Philadelphia

6. Dallas

5. Arizona

4. Pittsburgh

3. Washington

2. New York

1. Tennessee


OR


10. Arizona

9. Atlanta

8. Buffalo

7. Denver

6. NY Giants

5. Washington

4. Pittsburgh

3. Tampa Bay

2. Dallas

1. Tennessee

Tennessee was a consensus number 1 so on both lists they will be placed there. I really want to see how many of you get this right! Email us or feel free to just post a comment on here! Thanks!

Big 12 vs SEC and The GMs Top 10

There has been a lot of debate this season about which conference is better, Big 12 or SEC. I am somewhat torn on the issue and I think it comes down to two different theories.

I would say that the SEC is still the TOUGHER conference overall but the Big 12 is better at the top.

The SEC has 12 teams that can compete each and every week. Any time two SEC schools go against each other there exists a possibility that either team can win. Even Georgia versus Tennessee was relatively close this week. And Mississippi State beat Vanderbilt. Mississippi beat Florida earlier this year. Kentucky hung in with Alabama.

So the conference is tougher to get through. The top few teams, Alabama, Florida, & Georgia, may not be able to beat the top team or two from other conferences but they also might not beat the bottom teams in their own conference.

The Big 12 has 4 or 5 of the best teams in the country. I believe that Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State could play in any conference and compete for a championship in any of them. Which the SEC schools CAN'T do this season. But the bottom few teams in the Big 12 don't really present a problem for these schools. Texas A&M, Baylor, Iowa State, Colorado, and Nebraska have not really proven that they can beat any one with any talent.

Which means to be that the Big 12 might have the better teams as far as the country and the national championship is concerned but the SEC is the more competitive and better conference.


The GMs Top 10:

1. Texas (2) 6-0 - Obviously when you are #2 and you beat the #1 team you become the #1 team. Tough schedule coming up though with Missouri this week.
2. Alabama (3) 6-0 - They didn't play but they still move up. They are barely hanging on here though with a weak schedule coming up.
3. Penn State (6) 6-0 - Absolutely destroyed a decent Wisconsin team in Madison. Could pass Alabama if they can continue winning.
4. Oklahoma (1) 5-1 - I had Texas #2 last week so I can't really drop them too far for losing. The Reynolds lose is big for the defense though.
5. BYU (7) 6-0 - They won their game. And they were up here last week. While some teams may have played tougher opponents I don't think they should jump the Cougars because of it.
6. Florida (-) 5-1 - A very impressive win over LSU at home. A manageable upcoming schedule could move them up further yet.
7. Oklahoma State (-) 6-0 - HUGE win Saturday night in Missouri. I was thoroughly impressed. 3 games remain against top 10 teams could move them up more with wins.
8. Texas Tech (8) 6-0 - A win but not very convincing against an average Nebraska team. Very tough schedule upcoming could help prove themselves.
9. USC (9) 4-1 - How is this team higher than this anywhere? Who have they beaten? A very average Ohio State team at home...that's it. And it doesn't get tougher for them either.
10. Georgia (10) 5-1 - A win over Tennessee is good but it should have been more convincing. Still barely hanging on to 10th. 3 tough games coming up...will they sink or swim?

Almost there:

• Ohio State (-) 6-1 - They get Michigan State this weekend. If they win they could be in. If not they won't return to the top 10.
• Utah (-) 7-0 - If they keep winning they will remain close. Unfortunately I don't think they play a tough team until BYU on 11/22.
• Missouri (4) 5-1 - A tough loss to Okie State but they can redeem themselves this week with a game against Texas.
• Virginia Tech (-) 5-1 - The best team in the ACC needs to keep winning and they might squeeze into the top 10.
• Boise State (-) 5-0 - The schedule isn't tough enough to get them into the Top 10 without some help from losing teams.

Gone:

• LSU (5) - Every week their win over Auburn looks worse and worse. And then they got destroyed by Florida. LSU is not as good as the other teams here.
• Vanderbilt (-) - They were close but they couldn't make it. They have chances to regain their spot but they can't lose anymore.

NFL Power Rankings

Version 3 of my power rankings this week and I think we are really beginning to find out who the real good teams in the NFL. There are still some question marks but every week it seems we find out a little more about teams we thought were good and also the teams we thought were bad but are getting better. This week there is a lot of teams jumping around and two teams that are in the top 10 for the first time. That's enough potatoes, lets get to the meat of this list.

Here we go:

10. Philadelphia Eagles - I know, they lost again and now they are 2-3 but two of their losses are to teams that are in the top 4 of this list. I can handle those losses. If the play calling gets better and McNabb starts getting hot this team will be right back in the mix.

9. Buffalo Bills - They hadn't played anyone and made it to 4-0. They had their first real test last week and failed miserably. The Cardinals crushed them are now we will find out what this team is really made of. I still think they are capable of winning the division but now they really have to prove it.

8. New England Patriots - This is the first of the newcomers to the list. I think now that Cassel figured out how to get the ball deep to Moss, I think this team will only get better. The defense will play well the rest of the season and the schedule still is favorable. This team will make the playoffs and the loss to Miami might have just woken up and sleeping giant.

7. Arizona Cardinals - This is the second and last newcomer to the list. 41 points on Buffalo is impressive. I know they played them at home but Boldin didn't play either. That offense is GREAT! Even with Edgerrin James who is old. The defense really needs to get better for this team to be a legitimate contender in the NFC but they will make the playoffs this year.

6. Denver Broncos - They won a defensive struggle. That is huge news in the mile high city because we really didn't think the defense was good at all. This will really give this team some confidence and watch out if that happens. The offense is still great even though they didn't show it this past weekend.

5. Carolina Panthers - I know it was the Chiefs but 34-0 is big. This team just keeps getting better and that makes them for real. The defense is good and just wait and see what happens when the offense really starts clicking. I don't think this past weekend proves anything because it was the Chiefs but it definitely didn't hurt.

4. Dallas Cowboys - Moving up 1 spot after last week's win is questionable but they still won the game. The Bengals aren't very good and the game probably shouldn't have been close at all and at one point it wasn't but they still got the job done. It doesn't seem like this team is as good as we all said they were at the beginning of the season. I think this team is very close to imploding with the T.O. drama and now Adam Jones getting in trouble again. This story is to be continued...

3. Washington Redskins - Two road wins in a row in the division. Oh and yea, its the hardest division in football. I don't think I really have to say anything else. Portis is great! Campbell is good and getting better and the defensive is good even without three of their best players. This team is really stepping up and is a legitimate contender now. Jim Zorn is doing a heck of a job in the nations' capital.

2. New York Giants - 44 points without their best receiver. I know it was Seattle coming into New York and all but that's still impressive. Face it folks, Eli is a good quarterback and may be great someday. Oh, they only gave up 6 on top of everything. I know Seattle may have one of the worst offenses right now but this was supposed to be a weak point. I don't think so.

1. Tennessee Titans - This defense is GREAT! The best in the league by far. That was a very impressive win in Baltimore. Kerry Collins is definitely playing well enough for this team to keep winning and like we said on the podcast the schedule sets up well for them. Albert Haynesworth challenged the front office to go out and get a top notch wide receiver like Roy Williams. Lets see what happens with that because that could help a lot. I can see this team staying here for awhile.

There ya have it folks. The NFL's top teams in a nut shell. If you don't like this list post your own and see what I think about your list. Anyway, check back in the next day or so to see my picks for the weekend. Maybe this week, you can take what I say to the bank and make up some of the money you all are losing in the stock market.

The GMs NCAA FB Top 10

Not much to change this week. A couple teams move based on quality performances but there is only 1 new team to the top 10 this week.

1. Oklahoma (1) 5-0 - Still the best team in the Nation. They beat up on Baylor in preparation for their huge game against Texas this weekend.
2. Texas (4) 5-0 - I moved them up because they took apart a decent Colorado team on the road. While it isn't a GREAT win it was impressive.
3. Alabama (3) 6-0 - The game with Kentucky was a little too close for comfort. A team like Bama should be able to put away a team like UK.
   
4. Missouri (6) 5-0 - Their win over Nebraska was much like Texas over Colorado. A huge win over a decent team. It moved the Tigers up a few spots here.
5. LSU (3) 4-0 - They didn't play but that doesn't help when teams have great games. This week they get to prove themselves in the Swamp.
6. PSU (5) 6-0 - They went to Purdue and won by 2 touchdowns and the game wasn't that close. But at the same time it SHOULDN'T have been that close. They have to finish off drives against a weaker opponent like Purdue.
7. BYU (7) 5-0 - Not a huge win but they only allowed 14 points and the game was well in hand by that point. Enough to remain where they were.
8. Texas Tech (-) 5-0 - This team needed to prove something and they did. I actually picked Kansas State and the Raiders didn't let them in the game. Good win.
9. USC (10) 3-1 - Still hanging on in the Top 10 they embarrassed a decent Oregon team Saturday night. They don't have the schedule to get back to the top without teams losing ahead of them.
10. Georgia (9) 4-1 - The Bulldogs didn't play but all the other teams played very well so the Dawgs drop one spot.
    

Almost there:

Florida (-) - they can get back in with a win over LSU.
Ohio State (-) - good win at Wisconsin but they need more.
Utah (-) - Needed late points to beat a decent Oregon State team. Long way from top 10
Vanderbilt (-) - HUGE win over Auburn. Tough schedule remains but they deserve respect.
Virginia Tech (-) - After early loss to ECU the Hokies are just winning now.


Gone from the list:

USF (8) - No reason to lose at home to a average team like Pittsburgh.
Auburn (-) - A tough loss at Vandy but the offense is TERRIBLE!


Enjoy the games this week. I should have a weekend preview up on Thursday. What a weekend we have coming up!

NFL Power Rankings or something

Here goes the second version of my NFL Power Rankings or top 10 or whatever you want to call it. I am going to keep calling it my power rankings and I am going to keep ranking them the way I do because its my style.

This week's rankings actually changed last night during the podcast due to a heated discussion between GM and I. I will admit that I was wrong but we also established that we differ in the way we are ranking the teams. I was wrong about 1 team but I will stand by the rest of my rankings.

I would just like to add that the team I was wrong about is the Pittsburgh Steelers but ESPN has them at 6 as well. I do think I ranked them higher then I should have and the Eagles lower then I should have but I do think the two teams should be close in the rankings.

Anyway, here it goes...

10. Denver Broncos - The team is still 3-1 but they lost to the Chiefs. The defense showed that it was really bad this past weekend. If the offense doesn't score 35 right now they don't win. That's not good!

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Impressive win over the Packers. Earnest Graham is good! Griese is kind of managing the game and the defense it playing really well. Matt Bryant gets my woo woo this week. Unbelievable! I don't know how he did it and he did it really well!

8. Philadelphia Eagles - I had to rethink this week but I now agree that the Eagles belong on this list. Yes, they lost to the Bears but it was on the road without Westbrook and it was close. A play here or a play on 4th down and this might have changed. The Bears aren't bad either by the way.

7. Carolina Panthers - 24-9 over Atlanta isn't huge but it is what was supposed to happen. Steve Smith and Muhammad are playing well for Delhomme and the D is good too! Jonathan Stewart keeps on scoring too.

6. New York Giants - Didn't play but they are still undefeated. Lets see what they have without Plax. They play Seattle this week and they may get Engram and Branch back. That makes them much better so this is will be a decent test of the Giants. Let's see what happens.

5. Dallas Cowboys - They are still the most talented team in the league. They lost however, at home to the Redskins. Was the play calling questionable, of course. But they played and Washington won and that's why they dropped. T.O. complained about Romo after the game too. Watch out!

4. Washington Redskins - The Giants beat them in Week 1 but since that game this team has been really good. The offense is getting better each week and Santana Moss has been great so far. This offense is perfect for him obviously. Beating Dallas in Dallas and having the ball for 38 minutes is very impressive.

3. San Diego Chargers - Tomlinson had a great 4th quarter and that carried this team to a win over the Raiders. Is that impressive? I don't know but they came back and won. They are 2-2 but this team could go on a long winning streak as long as Tomlinson stays healthy.

2. Buffalo Bills - I like this team a lot. They have had to come back 3 times this season in the 4th quarter. It is what it is but they have and they are 4-0. The schedule is questionable but that's not their fault. They are winning the games they should and the defense is good!

1. Tennessee Titans - They beat Minnesota 30-17 and the defense is the best in the league. Kerry Collins is Kerry Collins but Chris Johnson is probably the rookie of the year right now. He has made that run game great. They are the best team in the league right now and that's why I have them here.

There ya have it fans. Version 2 of the power rankings and I would like to thank the GM for educating me last night during the podcast about the Eagles. I feel as though my rankings are better now but until next time, please debate me!


GMs Thoughts:

I still disagree with your rankings but they are your rankings and as long as you can stand by them then they are fine. I personally think Buffalo is HIGHLY over rated. The game in Arizona will either prove me wrong or right depending on the outcome. And just because ESPN has the Steelers at number 6 means nothing. How a team that got beaten down by the Eagles and barely beat a very average Ravens team at home does not deserve to be in the top 10. The offensive line is horrible and the entire team is getting hurt. MAYBE when they are healthy they will return. Unfortunately for me the Steelers get to pad their ranking and record by playing the Bengals, Browns, and Ravens 2 times each this year. That is pretty much 6 guaranteed wins right there!

The GMs Top 10

After a week full of upsets it took me a little while to really figure out my top 10.

While I think USC is better than some of the teams on this list I can't rank them ahead of them.

This isn't a power rankings list....it's a top 10 list.

And you have to win and perform well to get on the list.

1. Oklahoma (2) 4-0 - Right now they are the best team in the country. The Big 12 schedule starts this week so they will finally be tested.
2. Alabama (5) 5-0 - They are undefeated and have won 3 games on the road including games @ Clemson and @ Georgia.
3. LSU (9) 4-0 - They have won a big road game at Auburn and played well against a solid Mississippi State team. The real tests are coming though.
4. Texas (8) 4-0 - They haven't been tested yet but they have handled their business with no issues. The win over Rice was their best win so far. But that will change soon.
5. Penn State (-) 5-0 - They were close in past weeks to this list but hadn't played anyone. They took care of Illinois this past weekend and with all the upsets move way up the list.
6. Missouri (7) 4-0 - They still haven't beaten anyone. They beat Illinois in their first game but not as handily as PSU did so they will remain behind the Lions for now.
7. BYU (10) 4-0 - Haven't played the toughest schedule but have handled everyone they played so far with the exception of Washington game. Last 2 games they have won 103-0.
8. South Florida (-) 5-0 - After falling out of the top 10 last week they return after handling NC State this weekend. Playing in the Big East they will have a hard time remaining in this spot.
9. Georgia (4) 4-1 - They lost to a very good team in Alabama and they tried to come back. It looked like the Dawgs just didn't show up in the first half. Losing to a Top 10 team isn't bad though.
10. USC (1) 2-1 - They were on the road and got beat. So they fell a ways. Now they have to prove that the loss was a fluke but they will be hard pressed to return to number 1.

Almost there:

• Utah (-) - They are 5-0 but need to keep winning to make the top 10.
• Texas Tech (-) - At 4-0 they haven't played anyone substantial yet. Once they do they could be a top 5 team.
• Florida (3) - Of the top 5 upset last week they were the worst because it was at home. They need to rebound and with their schedule could return to the top.
• Auburn (-) - Only loss is to a strong LSU team. Keep winning and they will leap some of the other teams.
• Ohio State (-) - They have the chance this week to beat Wisconsin and move back into the top 10.

Gone from the list:

• East Carolina (-) - Another loss has eliminated them from any future consideration on this list.
• Wake Forest (-) - Losing to Navy at home was unacceptable. Will have to win consistently before they return.

The Best of the Worst!

We talked last night on the podcast (which you have to listen to because its awesome) about what the worst franchise in professional sports was and I had some ideas but right now I am going to break it down in the 4 major sports of the worst and maybe the second worst in each.

Lets start with everyone's favorite, the NFL!

The worst franchise in my opinion in the NFL is the Detroit Lions. It may just be that because they are in the news for this right now that its easy to pick them but 1 playoff game in 57 years. Are you serious? The last good quarterback they had and this is very questionable was Scott Mitchell. Herman Moore was awesome and Barry Sanders could've been the best running back ever but he quit in his prime maybe because he just didn't want to play for the Lions anymore. If that is the case I think this just validates my argument even more. Its not like Detroit is a city for losers, the Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers have all won championships. The Lions have never even been close! Oh and by the way, its doesn't look like its going to happen anytime soon either!

The only other two that may take the cake here are the Oakland Raiders, although they have been to a few Superbowls, and the Arizona Cardinals because they have never really played an important game either. I may put the Houston Texans into this argument in a few years but they are too young right now to have in here. The Cleveland Browns left and came back so that creates a big grey area so I will leave them alone here also.

Lets move on to Major League Baseball.

This one is harder because baseball has been around for so long and each team has made some sort of run in their long histories so I am going to go with recent histories here and say that there are three that are really close to bottom and really hard to split.

The three are the Texas Rangers, the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. None of these teams have even been close to competitive in the last 15 years. I think I would have to put (my favorite team) Texas at the bottom because they have never played for a world series ever! The other two have won some even though they were a really long time ago. It depresses me to write this actually but I still hold out hope that someday maybe I will get to see a game in Texas in October.

The Rays were close too but with the season they have had this year it makes the last 5 years of waiting all worth it down at the Trop.

Now to the Hard courts and no not Tennis, the NBA.

Charlotte is too young of franchise for me to group them in here so that leaves 3. I am still debating as I type but the three are: the Memphis (formerly Vancouver) Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks. Willis Reid may save the Knicks here again, actually, wait, he is coming out of the tunnel now and yes, Willis Reid just kept the Knicks out of the bottom of this list. The leaves is up to the Grizzlies or the Clippers for last place here. Lets go to the Lottery for this one. We will spin the big wheel and just see what comes out. What do we have? Well fans, the Clippers had the highest percentage chance of being the worst franchise in the NBA but well, the balls were spun and just like always the team with the highest percentage didn't win and the Memphis Grizzlies came out as the worst franchise in the NBA with the Clippers coming out second.

Whats the 4th major sport you ask? Its Hockey you idiots, well its really the NBA on this website so you better get used it!

GM is the resident hockey expert here fans so he may know better then I. I am just getting into it and really do like it so lets give it a shot.

OK, from my limited knowledge of the game I am going to go with the Florida Panthers here. I will be totally honest about something. I went to nhl.com and actually had to hold my mouse on some of the logos because I didn't recognize them to match them to the teams.

So, there were some teams like the Predators and the Thrashers and the Blue Jackets that in my mind are too young to even consider here.

The Panthers are it and here is why. They have only made the playoffs like once or twice in their existence and it didn't seem last year like they are close to making it soon. There are no other franchises that have had this long of a time of losing and not really doing anything to change it. Again the GM will be able to give you more information on this if you would like it but for now this is my decision and I am sticking too it!

So there ya have it, the worst franchises in the 4 major sports!

Congratulations! (I think)


The GMs Thoughts:

NFL - Oakland is the worst mainly because Al Davis is an idiot. If he wasn't there maybe the team would be relevant because there is some good tradition. He is running this team into the ground currently and I don't know if they will come back until he is gone.

MLB - I would have to say the Kansas City Royals are the worst. My reason would be that they don't even produce any young talent. At least Pittsburgh has traded away some younger guys that have helped other teams. The Royals can't do anything right.

NBA - Currently I have to go with the Knicks. They are a joke and aren't getting any better soon.

NHL - Hockey is tougher but I think I will go with Toronto for right now. This could and probably will change by the end of the year. But I look more at the state of the franchise more than history or recent success. And Toronto doesn't have real good prospects currently. LA, St. Louis, and Florida were considered but they are all developing good players and could actually make the playoffs this year.

NFL Power Rankings

GM seems to be doing an excellent job at breaking down college football and ranking that top teams in the country. I do applaud you sir as you seem to be spot on.

I am going to start doing a top 10 but for the NFL instead of college every Tuesday. Lets see how it goes the first couple of weeks and then maybe I will start some divisional stuff and what not. Here we go!

After Week 3 top 10 (starting with 10, I love countdowns):

10. Washington Redskins - They play in the best division in football. Right now they are in last place but that doesn't mean anything. They would be the best team in some divisions and the second best in every other. This team has it together and look out if Jason Campbell really figures some stuff out.

9. Green Bay Packers - They would be like 3 or 4 if they would've beaten the Cowboys. They didn't and the game was at home. Ryan Grant really needs to start playing better at running back because Rodgers, Driver and Jennings are playing great. They defense is playing very good too but without a little ball control its hard to completely shut anyone down.

8. San Diego Chargers - I know, I know they are 1-2. They lost on a miraculous throw by Delhomme and then to the Broncos on 2 pt conversion. You will see that to me that is not a bad loss. They just beat the Jets last night big and Tomlinson isn't even full strength. Rivers has been great and I think this team will just keep moving up this list.

7. New York Giants - Eli is playing well and the defense is doing alright with all of their key losses. Its been a very work-man like 3-0. They barely beat a bad Bengals team at home in overtime. I may have them higher if they had a bigger win. They are good but not great yet. Brandon Jacobs needs to step up a little bit.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers - They would have been higher except the offense looked really bad against Philly on Sunday. Philly's defense is good but they made the offensive line of the Steelers look like high school players. Once they sure the line up they could move up this list.

5. Philadelphia Eagles - Again, the lost to Dallas is what has them outside the top 3. The offense looked great until Westbrook went down and then it went to hell. I know McNabb was hurt for a little bit in there too but 2 guys can't make that much a difference and you be a Superbowl caliber team. The defense is great and that puts them in the top 5.

4. Buffalo Bills - Sunday's win would have been a loss every year for the past 10. Not this year! The defense is playing great, Marshawn Lynch is a stud and Trent Edwards just manages the game. The special teams is back also. This is a team to really watch in the AFC as they could make a deep run into the playoffs. I like this team A LOT!

3. Tennessee Titans - Its crazy but this team really has no offense and they are winning games. Kerry Collins the quarterback. Chris Johnson is fast but he is still a rookie, and LenDale White still really fat and I don't know any of their wide receivers but they are 3-0. That shows how good this defense really is. Probably the best in the league and it wouldn't surprise me if it stays that way all season. This team is flat-out good!

2. Denver Broncos - 3-0 and really fun to watch. Jay Cutler is a great quarterback and Brandon Marshall may be the best receiver in the league. They have 3 running backs that are good I think and two good tight ends. That's a lot of weapons and oh don't forget Eddie Royal. The defense is another story but this team has shown they can win some shoot-outs and don't expect that to stop anytime soon.

1. Dallas Cowboys - This offense is just as good as Denver's and the defense is much better. This is the most complete team in the league right now. They have beaten two teams that are in my initial top 10. Marion Barber is a stud running back and that opens it up for Owens and Witten. I am sure they are going to lose a few games but it won't be many.

So there it is, my initial top 10. I think I did an ok job so look for again next week when I post a new top 10. There are a few teams on the brink of making it and bye weeks are starting so it could definitely fluctuate weekly.



GMs Thoughts:

I am not sure I agree with all your picks. Not necessarily who is in the top 10 but the order they are in. Tennessee and Buffalo have opponents that are a combined 5-12 through 3 weeks. That seems to explain their 3-0 starts. And the Broncos have gotten nothing but good breaks so far. And the Chargers have gotten nothing but bad breaks. But like I said....the list is fine....the order seems questionable to me.